By Alex A. Kecskes

Pest birds can be a huge problem when they congregate and nest in airport hangars.
Without effective pest bird barriers to exclude them, hangar operators spend millions of dollars every year in maintenance and cleanup costs.

Once pest birds invade a hangar, they settle in, make themselves at home, and seldom leave on their own. These birds can create considerable damage to aircraft and exposed aircraft engines and assemblies with their nesting materials and droppings. The acidic chemicals in droppings can eat into metal, plastic and rubber surfaces, causing long-term damage that may cause engines and hydraulic systems to fail--even in flight.

Bird nests and droppings can also clog gutters and down pipes. Fecal matter sucked into grilles, ducts and vents can damage  expensive AC systems. Bird droppings left to gather on hangar floors, entrances and ladders could create dangerous slip-and-fall hazards and result in a costly legal liability. The right kind of bird barriers can reduce or prevent these problems.

Pest bird droppings and nesting materials also pose a considerable health hazard, carrying and transmitting any of 60 known diseases--including Salmonellosis  and Ornithosis, which is similar to viral pneumonia. In addition, bird droppings and nesting materials contain insects and mites, which can also damage aircraft and delicate assemblies.

Fortunately, there are effective and humane bird barrier products one can install to keep pest birds out of aircraft hangars.

by Alex A. Kecskes

Homeowners, is your patio being rained on by bird droppings? Do you find yourself washing bird droppings off your BBQ every week? Are your rain gutters clogged with bird nests causing water to always overflow into unwanted areas? What about your pool or spa? Do friends and family avoid it because of bird droppings in the water? If the answer is yes to any one of these questions, it's time you looked into a pest bird guards.

Boat owners, is your pride and joy covered with bird droppings? Does your beautiful blue canvas boat cover rip due to hardened bird poop? Are your antennas and masts covered and jammed up with droppings? Do people slip and fall on the slippery poop left by birds as they move about your vessel?  If so, you need some serious pest bird guards.

Property managers, are pest birds destroying the businesslike atmosphere you've worked so hard to create. Are your air conditioning units and rooftop ventilators grinding to a halt? Are your solar panels and security cameras plastered with poop? Is your outdoor eatery losing customers due to bird droppings on tables and chairs?  If so, you know what you need to do--get some bird guards!

If you run a day care center or school, is the outdoor play area covered with disease carrying bird poop? Are the outdoor lunch tables splattered with bird droppings? If so, read on. You need some pest bird guards ASAP.

Fortunately, for all those who have been putting up with pest birds, there are many highly effective pest bird guards to choose from. These are readily available, easy to install and safe for birds and people.

By Alex A. Kecskes

It's no secret that many "big box" retailers and warehouses have a pest bird problem.  Lacking effective pest bird barriers, commercial businesses like these spend millions of dollars every year to deal with pest bird infestations. The problem is compounded as bird populations continue to grow in both the inner city and suburbs. Once pest birds invade a store or warehouse, they tend to eat right through packaged foods, causing  considerable spoilage. Unlike many retail establishments, most big box stores and warehouses have large open bays that invite birds to fly in. And once they make themselves at home, they rarely leave on their own.

Unless they're kept out, pest birds can create considerable damage due to the droppings they deposit on just about everything. The acidic chemicals in droppings can quickly deteriorate virtually any surface. Bird nests and droppings can also clog gutters and down pipes. Fecal matter drawn into ducts, grilles and vents can damage  expensive AC systems. Bird droppings on ledges, sills and signage can ruin the image of a business. Droppings deposited on pavements, entrances and fire escapes can create dangerous slip and fall hazards and a major legal liability. Obviously, bird barriers are a must for big box and other warehouse type stores.

Pest birds also pose a significant health hazard, carrying and transmitting any of 60 known diseases—including Salmonellosis  and Ornithosis, which is similar to viral pneumonia. To make matters worse, bird droppings and their nesting materials contain insects and mites, which can damage property, stored foods and fabrics.

Fortunately, there are several effective and humane bird barrier products currently available  that are designed to keep pest birds out of warehouses and big box stores. Most are maintenance free and easy to install.

One of these is Heavy-Duty Netting. Constructed of high-strength polyethylene, this netting is ideal for large, high stress applications. Some manufacturers offer netting with a burst strength of up to 40 pounds. If appearance is an issue, today's bird proof netting comes in several different colors--including white, stone and black to blend in with a structure's color design.

Another humane bird control product, Mist Capture Bird Netting, lets you capture and release trapped birds. This netting is ideal for use on birds that have made their way into warehouse areas and big box stores. Pest birds fly into the net and are immediately immobilized. Once captured, you simply remove the birds and release them outside.

A durable bird barrier, Mist Capture Netting is constructed of strong, UV-stabilized lightweight fiber. The netting is virtually invisible to birds and comes in four different sizes-- 7’x10’, 10’x20’, 10’x30’ and 10’x40’--to safely capture a wide variety of bird species. The netting is suitable for ensnaring pigeons, grackles, starlings, swallows, gulls and sparrows. Best of all, this specially designed bird barrier is made to capture multiple birds in one net.

Installing and using Mist Capture Netting is simple and straightforward. Simply hang the netting in the flight path of pest birds--either from rafter areas or supported with poles.  Make sure to place the netting directly in the bird's flight path to ensure they will fly into the net at their normal flight speed. Try not to fit the netting near landing areas, since the birds will be slowing down for a landing.  You may even want to "herd" the birds into the netting using laser lights or sound to ensure birds fly into it.

There's also No Knot Bird Netting. An ideal bird barrier against pigeons, sparrows, starlings, crows and gulls,  this heavy duty professional grade netting  is made of flame resistant polypropylene. Polypropylene is chemically inert  and highly resistant to a wide range of chemicals at ordinary temperatures. It will not rot, absorb water, or mildew. It's also ISO 1806 Protocol Mesh Tested, U.V. stabilized, and comes in various stock sizes and custom cuts--including  2-inch and  3/4-inch mesh. No-Knot Net is a humane, low profile way of preventing birds from landing or nesting . It is soft on your hands, easy to install and super light.

For commercial gardens, nurseries and the garden  areas of warehouse and big box home improvement stores, there's Ultra Net Bird Netting. This lightweight plastic mesh netting makes an ideal bird barrier for protecting fruit trees, blueberry bushes, gardens, vineyards, eaves and more from pest birds. It's virtually invisible and particularly effective in keeping out pigeons, swallows, crows, gulls and sparrows. Made from durable, U.V. protected polypropylene, Ultra Net Bird Netting comes in three different mesh sizes—3/4-, 1/2- and 1/4-inch,  based on the bird(s) you need to block out. Available in bulk rolls or piece sizes, Ultra Net is lightweight and easy to work with. Designed primarily for temporary use, Ultra Net is easily installed with handy Ultranet clips or a staple gun.

If your big box store or warehouse has been invaded by bats, you should look into getting some bat netting. This bird barrier is ideal for keeping bats out of eaves, attics, and other secluded or semi-secluded areas. The best Bat Netting is a  U.V.-protected polyethylene, 3/8-inch mesh. This type of netting is virtually invisible when installed and comes in different sizes—typically 10’x10’, 25’x25’, 50’x50’, and 50'x100'. One manufacturer even offers a 10-year guarantee. To properly install Bat Net, first set up a perimeter in the area to be bat proofed. Next, secure the net to this cable, making sure that the net is pulled taught around all edges. You want to seal off any openings around the edges. Bats are pretty clever and will find a way in if you give them even a slight opening.
 
The key to any pest bird prevention strategy is to be proactive. Install  bird barriers in areas you would expect them to nest and roost. Do this before birds arrive and you'll save yourself a lot of expense and grief down the road.